Title: It All Starts With A Kiss
Lucky Number 13: Blood, Sweat, Fights, and Tears
A/N: Yes, I know that B*Witched is from Ireland, but they have a song called "C'est La Vie" which means "Let It Be." Paris is getting dropped into this chapter, I know that for a fact. Writing Paris is very tiring, let me just say. That girl talks a lot, and quickly. She's totally high-maintenence(sorry, I don't know how to spell and I just watched When Harry Met Sally). Also, more cussing in this chapter, nothing over PG-13, though.
~~~~
"You slept with Jess?"
Rory nodded meekly.
"Dammit, Rory, what are you going to say next? You're pregnant, you've got AIDS, and you're moving in with my parents?"
"No, I-"
"No, Rory, I don't want to hear it! You know what happened to me, I can't believe you'd be so stupid!"
"Yes, I know what happened to you, but I'm not you! I'm not pregnant, I don't have any STDs, I'm completely fine!"
"It only takes one time, Rory, one time."
"I know, Mom. I grew up with you shoving that in my face every second of the day!"
"Only the past few years. But apparently I didn't do it enough, since you're off having sex with your boyfriend!"
"Mom, we only did it once, not before or since, and we're going to live in two different rooms in New York."
"Oh, no, do you still think you're moving? Uh-uh, no way. I am not letting you move in with Jess now."
"Well, you don't have to let me, I can do it myself!"
"And when you're doing that, why don't you rip my heart out and give it to Sherry and G.G. to cut up!"
"Okay!"
"Okay!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Rory walked out of the house and slammed the door. Lorelai sighed and leaned into the couch.
~~~~
"Jess, give me your phone!" Rory yelled as she walked into Luke's. Jess handed over the diner phone as soon as she reached the counter. She smiled wearily and dialed a number.
"Who are you calling?"
"Patty. I've got to get someone to drive me home. Miss Patty, hi. It's Rory Gilmore." Rory spoke into the phone as Miss Patty picked up. "I was wondering if you knew of anyone else who was heading towards New Haven today. You do? Who? Jackson Melville. Great. No, I've got his number. Thanks. Okay, bye. What? No, I've been feeling fine. Okay, I'll be sure to notify you the second I feel the least bit sick. Okay, bye." Rory hung up the phone. She sighed and laid her head in her hands. Jess set a cup of coffee in front of her. "Thanks."
"No problem. Hey, are you feeling okay?"
"Why?"
"You just look worn out."
"I am. I really am. I've been running around for the past few weeks with exams and the Christmas holiday coming up, and now I'm moving, and I just had a fight with my mom--"
"Whoa! You had a fight with Lorelai? What about?" Please not me, please, please, please not about me, Jess thought.
"You." Rory stated simply.
"God, Rory, she already hates me! What'd you tell her?"
"Not here." Rory hissed through her teeth.
"Okay. Larry, watch the counter. I'm going upstairs." Jess pulled Rory's arm and started to steer her up the stairs. Larry watched them go, and then he turned to Sally and whispered, "That's the girl he got pregnant."
"Uh-huh."
~~~~
"All right, we're out of earshot of everyone, what'd you say?" Jess said seconds after Rory's foot hit the threshold into the apartment.
"Well, first I told her I was moving to New York with you--"
"Shit, can you move in now?"
"At first she was all right with it, and then--"
"Did you tell her about that night at your grandparents'?"
Rory nodded.
"Goddammit, why? Why the hell would you tell her that? Didn't you know that would make her freak out?"
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking about that."
"Have you not talked to your mother since she met me? She absolutely hates me, and she's always been scared that you'll get pregnant like she did."
"I know, but I had to tell her. She's my best friend, and I already told Lane. And she started talking about me telling her whenever something big happens, and so it just sorta...spilled out."
"Oh, this is getting so screwed up! Lorelai hates me, everyone thinks you're pregnant."
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Everyone thinks I'm pregnant?"
"Well, the kid in the kitchen asked if it was true that you were pregnant, and Patty's asking if you're feeling all right, Taylor's sending me Pepto-Bismol to send to you, so I'm pretty sure the whole damn town knows by now."
"Crap! What's Lorelai gonna think?"
"Did you tell her you weren't pregnant?"
"Yeah, but she might not believe me."
"The chain of command probably got screwed up, they think it's you, but it's really Lorelai."
"Yeah, I guess so. Look, no matter what Mom says, I'm still moving in with you."
"Okay, fine."
"Glad you're so excited. No, really, I understand. Anyway, I gotta go call Jackson, see if he'll give me a ride back to school. My last exam's at two on Wednesday, so you wanna come over around then and help me start to pack? The air mattress is still there, if you wanna stay for a couple days."
"All right. I'll see you later."
"Okay. Bye."
"Wait, I'll walk you down."
"Cool."
~~~~
Jackson dropped Rory in front of her dorm about an hour and a half later. She was already starting to miss Lorelai. This always happened when they had a fight; of course, they hadn't had a fight since Rory had moved out. In fact, that had been the last one. Anyway, Rory was already missing her over-caffienated mother (who was caffiene-less; weird) and her quirky comments on life. Rory's mind was not on Paris and moving out at all, so she was fairly shocked when Paris practically jumped on her as she walked in the door.
"You're not moving. I refuse to let you leave."
"What? Paris, what's wrong with you?"
"I just met the girl who's taking your place, and I refuse to let you leave."
"Oh, come on, Paris, she couldn't have been that bad."
"Oh, she was...and worse! I mean, she was like Madeline and Louise in one."
"Bad combination."
"I know! She was talking about how she's always having boys coming over, and then I told her that I'd be working a lot and I didn't want to work in the library, and she asked me what a library was."
"No way."
"Yeah, she did. And Ashley--that's her name. Ashley. I mean, that's a complete dumb slut name!"
"Hey, now, I knew Ashleys that weren't sluts, and certainly not dumb."
"Yeah, fine. It's a cheerleader name, anyway. That was my favorite thing about Chilton: we didn't have cheerleaders. But Ashley--of course, she's a cheerleader. She's like, my worst nightmare. I mean it. I've woken up screaming, because a girl like her moved in. So you can't move. There's no way. I'm not letting you."
"Sorry, Paris, I'm moving. I'm already registered in NYU, and I've got an apartment and everything. Why don't you go to Housing? Maybe they can move you."
"What, are you on crack? It'll take them ages to find me a new place, and in the meantime, Ashley'll know I want to move, and she'll make my life an even worse living hell than it's gonna be already."
"I'm sure there's something you can do."
Paris shook her head.
"Anything?"
"No, not a damn thing. I'm telling you, you can't move! I won't let you. Why do you have to leave anyway? To go live with your boyfriend? Oh, please, you'll never get any work done. Besides, you'll be moving farther away from your mom. Isn't she like your best friend?"
"Yeah."
"So you don't wanna leave her, now do you? She'll be all alone in that stupid little wholesome town you're from."
"She's not all alone. She's got Luke."
"The diner man? Do you really think she'll stay with him for long? I mean, she was with Mr. Medina for, what, eight months, and then they split up? How long do you think she'll stay with diner boy?"
"Paris, shut up."
"Oh, that doesn't get me to shut up, and you know it. I'll just keep talking about your mom and Mr. Medina making out, and then I'll make fun of diner man over and over. Say you won't move out."
"No."
"Yes."
"NO. I'm moving out." Rory slammed the books in her hand onto her desk, and Paris took that as the sign that she couldn't talk about it anymore. Instead, she asked her soon-to-be former roommate a question.
"Hey, what'd you and your mom fight about?"
"What do you mean?" Rory looked up from her already up-and-running laptop.
"Oh, your mom just called here about ten minutes ago, and since I never answer the phone while I'm working, she left a message."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Cause you're moving out and Ashley's moving in!"
Rory shook her head and walked over to the answering machine. A number 3 was flashing. Rory pressed the button, and her mother's voice started.
"Hey. Look, I know you're not there yet, and I figure that Paris is working, so that's why I called." Lorelai sighed. "I'm sorry about the fight. I just get really passionate about that, and I know you know that, so I'm not gonna apologize any more.
"I miss you. It's strange, I know, but this always happens when we fight. I'm watching reruns of VH1 right now, and 'I love the 80s' is on. They're talking about the Bangles, and the Go-Go's, and the Brat Pack, and I'm very nostalgic, cause I guess my favorite part of the eighties was--"Beep. Sunday, 12:02. Beep.
"Your damn machine hates me, babe, and we've got to face it. Anyway....What was I talking about? Oh yeah, my fave part of the eighties. Well, if you deduct the morning sickness, labor pains, diapers, and sick days, my favorite part of the eighties was you. That, of course, was when you were at your cutest. Although you have long since grown out of the whole sweetness thing, you're still the coolest thing in my life. You've stayed with me for too many years to count--"
"Nineteen, Mom." Rory called to the machine, wiping tears from her face.
"And I know you're telling me it's been nineteen years, but that's a bold-assed lie, cause I feel like you've been with me forever. We've grown up so much together, you from a slobbering, pooping, laughing little baby, and me from a naive, Bangles worshiping, only happy with you little girl. What we've grown into, only--"Beep. Sunday, 12:04. Beep.
"Fire the mean lady with the robot voice, Ror, and I don't mean Paris. Anyway, as I was saying, we've grown up so much, into what, only God knows. We've gone through boys--too many to count--although the serious ones include Max for me and Dean for you. We've also got Jess for you, and Luke for me, but I'm hoping they stick around for a while. I like 'em, you know?
"Anyway, the most important boy we've both gone through is, as always, Christopher. You've helped me get through all the crap and heartache your father causes me, and I like to think I've helped you. Now he's father and husband to someone else, and even though you're civil, I can tell that seeing him with G. G. rips you up. Seeing him with Sherry rips me up too, and the fact that she sent me a Christmas card with the three of them just makes me want to make your father a widower. Still, I know you love him, and I love him too, and I guess he loves us, but the fates don't shine on us much; none of us. Well, Luke's coming over in a minute, and I hate to say it, but I gotta hurl, so I'll talk to you later, sweets. I promise, you'll always be number one to me. I love you so much. Call me."
Paris threw Rory a box of Kleenex, and Rory wiped her sopping face.
~~~~
A/N: Sorry to anyone named Ashley; I know smart, non-slutty Ashleys, but I just kept thinking of those girls from that Disney show RECESS, and what they'd be like when they grew up. And they're all preppy and stuff. But sorry if I offended anyone. Didn't mean to!!!!
Lucky Number 13: Blood, Sweat, Fights, and Tears
A/N: Yes, I know that B*Witched is from Ireland, but they have a song called "C'est La Vie" which means "Let It Be." Paris is getting dropped into this chapter, I know that for a fact. Writing Paris is very tiring, let me just say. That girl talks a lot, and quickly. She's totally high-maintenence(sorry, I don't know how to spell and I just watched When Harry Met Sally). Also, more cussing in this chapter, nothing over PG-13, though.
~~~~
"You slept with Jess?"
Rory nodded meekly.
"Dammit, Rory, what are you going to say next? You're pregnant, you've got AIDS, and you're moving in with my parents?"
"No, I-"
"No, Rory, I don't want to hear it! You know what happened to me, I can't believe you'd be so stupid!"
"Yes, I know what happened to you, but I'm not you! I'm not pregnant, I don't have any STDs, I'm completely fine!"
"It only takes one time, Rory, one time."
"I know, Mom. I grew up with you shoving that in my face every second of the day!"
"Only the past few years. But apparently I didn't do it enough, since you're off having sex with your boyfriend!"
"Mom, we only did it once, not before or since, and we're going to live in two different rooms in New York."
"Oh, no, do you still think you're moving? Uh-uh, no way. I am not letting you move in with Jess now."
"Well, you don't have to let me, I can do it myself!"
"And when you're doing that, why don't you rip my heart out and give it to Sherry and G.G. to cut up!"
"Okay!"
"Okay!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Rory walked out of the house and slammed the door. Lorelai sighed and leaned into the couch.
~~~~
"Jess, give me your phone!" Rory yelled as she walked into Luke's. Jess handed over the diner phone as soon as she reached the counter. She smiled wearily and dialed a number.
"Who are you calling?"
"Patty. I've got to get someone to drive me home. Miss Patty, hi. It's Rory Gilmore." Rory spoke into the phone as Miss Patty picked up. "I was wondering if you knew of anyone else who was heading towards New Haven today. You do? Who? Jackson Melville. Great. No, I've got his number. Thanks. Okay, bye. What? No, I've been feeling fine. Okay, I'll be sure to notify you the second I feel the least bit sick. Okay, bye." Rory hung up the phone. She sighed and laid her head in her hands. Jess set a cup of coffee in front of her. "Thanks."
"No problem. Hey, are you feeling okay?"
"Why?"
"You just look worn out."
"I am. I really am. I've been running around for the past few weeks with exams and the Christmas holiday coming up, and now I'm moving, and I just had a fight with my mom--"
"Whoa! You had a fight with Lorelai? What about?" Please not me, please, please, please not about me, Jess thought.
"You." Rory stated simply.
"God, Rory, she already hates me! What'd you tell her?"
"Not here." Rory hissed through her teeth.
"Okay. Larry, watch the counter. I'm going upstairs." Jess pulled Rory's arm and started to steer her up the stairs. Larry watched them go, and then he turned to Sally and whispered, "That's the girl he got pregnant."
"Uh-huh."
~~~~
"All right, we're out of earshot of everyone, what'd you say?" Jess said seconds after Rory's foot hit the threshold into the apartment.
"Well, first I told her I was moving to New York with you--"
"Shit, can you move in now?"
"At first she was all right with it, and then--"
"Did you tell her about that night at your grandparents'?"
Rory nodded.
"Goddammit, why? Why the hell would you tell her that? Didn't you know that would make her freak out?"
"Sorry, I wasn't thinking about that."
"Have you not talked to your mother since she met me? She absolutely hates me, and she's always been scared that you'll get pregnant like she did."
"I know, but I had to tell her. She's my best friend, and I already told Lane. And she started talking about me telling her whenever something big happens, and so it just sorta...spilled out."
"Oh, this is getting so screwed up! Lorelai hates me, everyone thinks you're pregnant."
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Everyone thinks I'm pregnant?"
"Well, the kid in the kitchen asked if it was true that you were pregnant, and Patty's asking if you're feeling all right, Taylor's sending me Pepto-Bismol to send to you, so I'm pretty sure the whole damn town knows by now."
"Crap! What's Lorelai gonna think?"
"Did you tell her you weren't pregnant?"
"Yeah, but she might not believe me."
"The chain of command probably got screwed up, they think it's you, but it's really Lorelai."
"Yeah, I guess so. Look, no matter what Mom says, I'm still moving in with you."
"Okay, fine."
"Glad you're so excited. No, really, I understand. Anyway, I gotta go call Jackson, see if he'll give me a ride back to school. My last exam's at two on Wednesday, so you wanna come over around then and help me start to pack? The air mattress is still there, if you wanna stay for a couple days."
"All right. I'll see you later."
"Okay. Bye."
"Wait, I'll walk you down."
"Cool."
~~~~
Jackson dropped Rory in front of her dorm about an hour and a half later. She was already starting to miss Lorelai. This always happened when they had a fight; of course, they hadn't had a fight since Rory had moved out. In fact, that had been the last one. Anyway, Rory was already missing her over-caffienated mother (who was caffiene-less; weird) and her quirky comments on life. Rory's mind was not on Paris and moving out at all, so she was fairly shocked when Paris practically jumped on her as she walked in the door.
"You're not moving. I refuse to let you leave."
"What? Paris, what's wrong with you?"
"I just met the girl who's taking your place, and I refuse to let you leave."
"Oh, come on, Paris, she couldn't have been that bad."
"Oh, she was...and worse! I mean, she was like Madeline and Louise in one."
"Bad combination."
"I know! She was talking about how she's always having boys coming over, and then I told her that I'd be working a lot and I didn't want to work in the library, and she asked me what a library was."
"No way."
"Yeah, she did. And Ashley--that's her name. Ashley. I mean, that's a complete dumb slut name!"
"Hey, now, I knew Ashleys that weren't sluts, and certainly not dumb."
"Yeah, fine. It's a cheerleader name, anyway. That was my favorite thing about Chilton: we didn't have cheerleaders. But Ashley--of course, she's a cheerleader. She's like, my worst nightmare. I mean it. I've woken up screaming, because a girl like her moved in. So you can't move. There's no way. I'm not letting you."
"Sorry, Paris, I'm moving. I'm already registered in NYU, and I've got an apartment and everything. Why don't you go to Housing? Maybe they can move you."
"What, are you on crack? It'll take them ages to find me a new place, and in the meantime, Ashley'll know I want to move, and she'll make my life an even worse living hell than it's gonna be already."
"I'm sure there's something you can do."
Paris shook her head.
"Anything?"
"No, not a damn thing. I'm telling you, you can't move! I won't let you. Why do you have to leave anyway? To go live with your boyfriend? Oh, please, you'll never get any work done. Besides, you'll be moving farther away from your mom. Isn't she like your best friend?"
"Yeah."
"So you don't wanna leave her, now do you? She'll be all alone in that stupid little wholesome town you're from."
"She's not all alone. She's got Luke."
"The diner man? Do you really think she'll stay with him for long? I mean, she was with Mr. Medina for, what, eight months, and then they split up? How long do you think she'll stay with diner boy?"
"Paris, shut up."
"Oh, that doesn't get me to shut up, and you know it. I'll just keep talking about your mom and Mr. Medina making out, and then I'll make fun of diner man over and over. Say you won't move out."
"No."
"Yes."
"NO. I'm moving out." Rory slammed the books in her hand onto her desk, and Paris took that as the sign that she couldn't talk about it anymore. Instead, she asked her soon-to-be former roommate a question.
"Hey, what'd you and your mom fight about?"
"What do you mean?" Rory looked up from her already up-and-running laptop.
"Oh, your mom just called here about ten minutes ago, and since I never answer the phone while I'm working, she left a message."
"Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"Cause you're moving out and Ashley's moving in!"
Rory shook her head and walked over to the answering machine. A number 3 was flashing. Rory pressed the button, and her mother's voice started.
"Hey. Look, I know you're not there yet, and I figure that Paris is working, so that's why I called." Lorelai sighed. "I'm sorry about the fight. I just get really passionate about that, and I know you know that, so I'm not gonna apologize any more.
"I miss you. It's strange, I know, but this always happens when we fight. I'm watching reruns of VH1 right now, and 'I love the 80s' is on. They're talking about the Bangles, and the Go-Go's, and the Brat Pack, and I'm very nostalgic, cause I guess my favorite part of the eighties was--"Beep. Sunday, 12:02. Beep.
"Your damn machine hates me, babe, and we've got to face it. Anyway....What was I talking about? Oh yeah, my fave part of the eighties. Well, if you deduct the morning sickness, labor pains, diapers, and sick days, my favorite part of the eighties was you. That, of course, was when you were at your cutest. Although you have long since grown out of the whole sweetness thing, you're still the coolest thing in my life. You've stayed with me for too many years to count--"
"Nineteen, Mom." Rory called to the machine, wiping tears from her face.
"And I know you're telling me it's been nineteen years, but that's a bold-assed lie, cause I feel like you've been with me forever. We've grown up so much together, you from a slobbering, pooping, laughing little baby, and me from a naive, Bangles worshiping, only happy with you little girl. What we've grown into, only--"Beep. Sunday, 12:04. Beep.
"Fire the mean lady with the robot voice, Ror, and I don't mean Paris. Anyway, as I was saying, we've grown up so much, into what, only God knows. We've gone through boys--too many to count--although the serious ones include Max for me and Dean for you. We've also got Jess for you, and Luke for me, but I'm hoping they stick around for a while. I like 'em, you know?
"Anyway, the most important boy we've both gone through is, as always, Christopher. You've helped me get through all the crap and heartache your father causes me, and I like to think I've helped you. Now he's father and husband to someone else, and even though you're civil, I can tell that seeing him with G. G. rips you up. Seeing him with Sherry rips me up too, and the fact that she sent me a Christmas card with the three of them just makes me want to make your father a widower. Still, I know you love him, and I love him too, and I guess he loves us, but the fates don't shine on us much; none of us. Well, Luke's coming over in a minute, and I hate to say it, but I gotta hurl, so I'll talk to you later, sweets. I promise, you'll always be number one to me. I love you so much. Call me."
Paris threw Rory a box of Kleenex, and Rory wiped her sopping face.
~~~~
A/N: Sorry to anyone named Ashley; I know smart, non-slutty Ashleys, but I just kept thinking of those girls from that Disney show RECESS, and what they'd be like when they grew up. And they're all preppy and stuff. But sorry if I offended anyone. Didn't mean to!!!!